Safe Point works under the philosophy of a comprehensive harm reduction model to educate the community about safer drug use and fight the spread of infectious disease.
Risks associated with drug use include:
- The transmission of diseases, like HIV & hepatitis C
- Infections, such as abscesses and endocarditis
- Overdose
- Other serious health conditions, like blood clots
Click on the options below to learn more
HIV – or human immunodeficiency virus – is a virus that infects the body’s immune system and can cause a disease called acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). This reduces the body’s ability to fight off infections and can be fatal if left untreated. Learn more about HIV at CDC.gov.
What causes an HIV infection?
HIV is spread from one person to another through:
- Exchange of sexual fluids during unprotected vaginal or anal sex
- Exchange of blood through sharing needles or other drug use equipment
- Blood-blood exposure through injuries such as accidental needle sticks
- From mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding
How can I prevent an HIV infection?
- Use condoms during vaginal and anal sex.
- Do not share needles or other equipment (cottons, cookers, water, etc.) with others.
- Cleaning out a used needle with bleach will reduce, but not eliminate, the risk of infection. Read the CDC’s guidance on cleaning syringes.
- Start taking PrEP, a once-daily pill that can prevent HIV. In Ohio, there are programs that make PrEP available at little to no cost. Learn more about PrEP at OHIV.org.
- After a possible exposure to HIV, you can take PEP, a course of medication that can prevent an HIV infection. PEP must be started within 72 hours of exposure to be effective. Learn more about PEP at OHIV.org.
How do I get tested for HIV?
People who may be at high risk for HIV, including people who inject drugs, should get tested at least once a year.
Depending on the type of test, an HIV test may detect antibodies, viral proteins, or the virus itself. A test might be performed on blood drawn from the arm, blood from a finger prick, or a sample from an oral swab. Most rapid HIV tests can detect an infection 30-90 days after an exposure occurs.
Visit OHIV.org to find a free HIV testing site near you. Ohio residents can also order a free at-home HIV test.
What should I do if I have an HIV infection?
If you have recently been diagnosed or are living with an untreated HIV infection, it is important that you seek care. There is treatment available called antiretroviral therapy (ART) that allows people living with HIV to live long, healthy lives.
There are many programs available to help with the costs and barriers associated with care. Visit OHIV.org to find help near you.
If you live in Franklin county and need assistance finding care for HIV, you can complete a request to be contacted by our Health Navigator
The hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects liver cells in the body and causes a chronic infection in 80% of cases. Over time, this can cause diseases like liver damage and cancer. Most people living with hepatitis C do not know they are infected – symptoms of the disease often only occur after the liver has been significantly damaged. Symptoms of hepatitis can include fatigue, nausea, and jaundice (yellow skin and eyes). Learn more about hepatitis C at CDC.gov.
What causes a hepatitis C infection?
Hepatitis C is spread from one person to another through blood-blood exposure. This can happen through:
- Sharing needles, cottons, cookers, water, straws, or other drug use equipment that has been contaminated with infected blood
- Using contaminated surfaces to prepare drugs or drug use equipment
- Getting a tattoo or piercing from an unsterile, contaminated needle
- Rarely, through sex – especially rough sex or sex with someone who has a sexually transmitted infection (STI)
How can I prevent a hepatitis C infection?
People who use drugs can reduce their risk by:
- Not sharing any drug use-related equipment (including syringes, cottons, cookers, water, and straws)
- Using new, sterile needles and equipment for each injection
- Cleaning and sterilizing all surfaces used to prepare drugs
- Washing hands with soap and water before and after injecting
- Using alcohol or soap and water to clean the injection site before injecting
Cleaning out a used needle with bleach will reduce, but not eliminate, the risk of infection. Read the CDC’s guidance on cleaning syringes.
How do I get tested for hepatitis C?
There are two main types of tests performed to detect a hepatitis C infection: the antibody test and the RNA test.
- An antibody test is used to screen for hepatitis C and is performed on blood drawn from the arm or from a finger prick. This test will determine whether someone has ever been exposed to the virus. Even if someone has “cleared” the infection and does not have a chronic infection, this test will show a positive result.
- An RNA test is performed on blood drawn from the arm. If a hepatitis C antibody test is reactive (or “positive”), this test can be used to confirm a chronic infection.
Find a testing site near you:
- Ohio Department of Health’s Hepatitis C Resource Guide
- OHIV.org’s searchable database
What should I do if I have a hepatitis C infection?
If you have recently been diagnosed or are living with an untreated hepatitis C infection, it is important that you seek care. There are several new medications available that can cure hepatitis C.
- The first step to getting treated for hepatitis C is to see your primary care doctor, who may refer you to a specialist for further testing and treatment.
- If you live in Franklin county and need assistance finding care for hepatitis C, you can complete a request to be contacted by our Health Navigator.
Where can I find more information about hepatitis C?
- Harm Reduction Coalition’s Hepatitis C Basics for People Who Use Drugs
- CDC’s Hepatitis C Overview
In addition to HIV and hepatitis C, injection drug use can cause other infections and conditions, including:
- Skin infections, like abscesses and cellulitis
- Sepsis (blood infection)
- Endocarditis (heart infection)
- Blood clots
- Vein collapse
Learn more about these conditions (and how to prevent them) in the Harm Reduction Coalition’s Safety Manual for Injection Drug Users..
What causes these infections?
Microbes (like bacteria) and toxic substances found in unsterile needles, cottons, water, drugs, and on the skin cause infections, like abscesses, sepsis, and endocarditis. Injecting drugs creates an opening that allows infections to enter the body.
Injecting drugs also damages the veins. This damage can cause vein collapse, poor circulation, and heart disease.
How can I prevent these infections and conditions?
- Use a new, sterile syringe for each injection. Cleaning out a used needle with bleach will reduce, but not eliminate, the risk of infections. A used needle will also cause more damage to your veins and tissues. Read the CDC’s guidance on cleaning syringes.
- Use sterile water, cottons, cookers, and other equipment for each injection.
- Clean the injection site with soap and water or alcohol before each injection.
- Always wash your hands before preparing your drugs.
- Rotate your injection sites and avoid injecting in dangerous sites on the body.
- Practice good injection technique.
What should I do if I have a drug-use related infection or condition?
- If you think your drug use has caused an infection or condition, it is important that you seek care.
- If you live in Franklin County and need help finding medical care, click here to ask our Health Navigator to contact you.
- If you have any of the following, get medical care right away:
- Chest pain and/or trouble breathing
- Blurred vision, slurred speech, and/or fainting
- Fever with rapid heart rate and/or rapid breathing
- Swelling and pain in the arm or leg
What does an overdose look like?
Depressants include drugs such as opioids (heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone), benzodiazepines (Xanax), and alcohol. The signs and symptoms of an overdose on a depressant can include:
- Unresponsiveness
- Slow or no breathing (less than 1 breath every 5 seconds)
- Slow or abnormal heartbeat
- Cold, clammy skin
- Very small pupils
- Blue lips, skin, or fingernails
There is also a risk of overdose when using stimulants like cocaine and methamphetamine. A stimulant overdose can be fatal, causing cardiac arrest or stroke. Signs and symptoms of an overdose on a stimulant can include:
- Shaking/tremors
- Rapid heartbeat
- Irregular breathing
- Chest pain
- Fever
- Confusion, aggression, hallucinations, and/or panic
- Seizures
- Unresponsiveness
Learn more about drug overdose at the Harm Reduction Coalition’s website.
How can I prevent an overdose?
- Use fentanyl test strips to know whether the drug(s) you are using contain fentanyl, which carries a high risk of overdose.
- Reduce the amount of the drug you take at one time, especially if you have experienced an overdose recently or if you have not used drugs for a period of time.
- Use one drug at a time. Most fatal overdoses are the result of using more than one drug at the same time. This includes alcohol, which can be incredibly dangerous to use in combination with other substances.
- Do not use alone. Have someone that you trust with you who knows what drugs you’ve taken and can respond in case of an emergency.
How do I respond to an opioid overdose?
- Watch Project DAWN’s video on overdose response and administering naloxone.
- Assess for signs of overdose. Are they breathing? Is the person responsive? Can the person speak?
- If the person is unconscious or in a heavy nod, try to wake them up: Call his or her name and/or say something that they might not want to hear, like “I’m going to call 911” or “I’m going to give you naloxone.” If this does not work, try to stimulate him or her with pain by rubbing your knuckles into the sternum.
- If the person is unresponsive, call 911. Report that the person’s breathing has slowed or stopped, he or she is unresponsive, and give the exact location.
- Administer naloxone if there is a chance that the person has used any opioid (note: other street drugs, like cocaine, may be contaminated with an opioid such as fentanyl). It can take 2-3 minutes for naloxone to take effect. If you have more than one dose of Narcan available, administer further doses as needed.
- If their breathing has stopped or is very slow, begin rescue breathing. Place the person on their back, head tilted back and chin up. Make sure there is nothing in their mouth and pinch their nose closed. Breathe two slow breaths into their lungs, making sure the chest rises. Continue providing one breath every 5 seconds.
- Naloxone only lasts between 30 – 90 minutes, while the effects of the opioids may last much longer. It is possible that the person may start to overdose again once the naloxone wears off, so it is important to call 911 and stay with the person.
How do I respond to a non-opioid overdose?
- Naloxone will only reverse the effects of opioids – it will NOT help someone who is experiencing an overdose on other drugs, including other depressants like benzodiazepines (like Xanax). However, it is possible that other drugs may be “cut” or contaminated with an opioid. If there is a chance that someone may be experiencing an opioid overdose, it is best to administer naloxone.
- When responding to someone who is showing signs of an overdose, such as unresponsiveness or symptoms of a heart attack or stroke, the first and most important thing you should do is to call 911.
- If they are unresponsive and you cannot detect their breathing or heartbeat, you can begin performing CPR after calling 911 until help arrives.
There is help available to anyone who wants to stop using drugs or alcohol. Treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) can be offered on an outpatient or inpatient basis and different levels of care may be suited for different people. Treatment may include individual counseling, group counseling, medication(s), and/or other supportive services.
Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT)
Medication assisted treatment (MAT) uses medication in conjunction with counseling to treat substance use disorders. For opiate dependence, this includes methadone, buprenorphine (such as Suboxone), and naltrexone (such as Vivitrol).
The advantages of MAT include:
- Switching from a short acting opiate to a long acting opiate
- Moving from using an illicit, often intravenous drug to an oral medication that is monitored by a physician
- Increased survival
- Better physical health
- Improved social relationships
- Healthier birth outcomes
Learn more about medication-assisted treatment at SAMHSA.gov.
How do I get into treatment?
- Visit FindTreatment.gov to find a treatment center near you.
- If you live in Franklin county and need assistance finding treatment for addiction, you can complete a request to be contacted by our Health Navigator
